Some liked assembler. They liked being close to the guts of
the computer. Others liked languages like C (yes there was an A and a B). I
never did. I actually was never interested in the lines of code. Rather I was
always interested in solving user problems and COBOL allowed by to do that.
In '77 I got a TRS-80 and, like everyone, wrote programs in
Basic but I kept looking for a personal computer language that would allow me
to spend my time solving problems rather than coding. In '84, I believe, I came
across a language called Selector which kind of did that but it was not very
popular and for a while I gave up on ever finding a language I liked. Then in
1988 I came across Clarion. This was Clarion for DOS (no Windows and certainly
no mouse). I loved it. Everything I loved about COBOL was there and more. I
could spend my time solving user needs rather than writing code.
By '92 I had written a bunch of programs and then had an
opportunity to go virtually full-time into writing in Clarion. Around '95 I
started writing in an early version of Clarion for Windows and I've never
looked back... Except for this article. As I've said Clarion works for me. When
I'm working in it I rarely am spending time thinking about the computer's need.
I spend all my time focused on the needs and wants of the user, the client.
I'll give you an example. A client recently said to me he
wanted a modification to his software. He wanted to start storing his
customer's credit card information for automatic billing. Typically he wanted
the salesmen to get the credit card information but once they had entered the
info, he only wanted the administrative and billing staff to have access to
that info. So how do I let the salesmen enter the information and yet prevent
them from seeing after that? Simple. And a couple hours later it was finished,
tested, and implemented.
That's why Clarion works for me. But that's only one example
so here's another. Back in '98, I
believe, a client wanted me to create a website where my client's customers
could go to pick up their current reports. This client produced hundreds of
reports per day for their customers and they wanted to use the web as the
distribution medium.
We not only completed that project but have been modifying
over the years as the client adds new features to their reports. What started
out being used by a handful of their customers is now used by about 2500
different users all over the country. It works 24/7 year-after-year and all
written in Clarion.
Do you have a favorite language? Tell me about it and tell
me why you love it.
